Centenary Events

Shire President, Cr Arthur George Parr, confirmed that Council had given approval for a section of Griffith Park near Anzac Avenue be set aside for recreational tennis and construction commenced on two ‘sand’ / loam courts. A year later, the first (white) ball was struck on Centre Court by the newly elected first Club President, William Alexander Makim.

In the same year that King George V opened the new Centre Court at Wimbledon, play is first held on the two newly built loam courts of Collaroy Tennis Club. Membership was opened and a Committee elected with W.A. Makim as our first President. An old shed situated behind Court 2 served as our first clubhouse.

The world was still in the grasp of The Great Depression, but the feats of Aussie tennis players including Jack Crawford (pic.), Harry Hopman, Vivian McGrath and rising stars Adrian Quist and Nancye Wynne Bolton helped ward off any slump in the sport’s popularity… and Collaroy Tennis Club continued to thrive and grow its membership.

On the night of May 31, one of three Japanese midget submarines entered Sydney Harbour following a Manly Ferry through the established boom defences. Having sunk the HMAS Kuttabul by mistake, that sub was damaged as it escaped the Harbour and headed north. It snuck right past our club off Long Reef Headland, making it to Bungan Head near Newport before sinking. A week later, a larger submarine returned to bombard Sydney with its deck guns from open water. Though close to the action (and an obvious target) Collaroy Tennis Club survived its brush with World War II. A year earlier, Joan Gilroy and Ernie Ode who’d met at CTC, were married and started a family with daughter Ros still playing at the Club today.

​Frank Sedgman was tearing up world tennis and 17 year old Ken Rosewall was just a year away from becoming the youngest player to ever win the Australian title (a feat which stands to this day). Elizabeth II was crowned Queen and ‘The Petith Dynasty’ at Collaroy Tennis Club had its beginnings as Greg was born, to be followed just two years later by Mark. (Tennis would never be the same again.) Construction commenced on a 3rd court and a larger clubhouse, and Collaroy Tennis Club entered its first teams in the Sydney Badge Competition run by Tennis NSW.

Soviet missile bases were discovered in Cuba, John Glenn became the first astronaut to orbit the Earth and Rod Laver won the first of his two Calendar Grand Slams. A party was held to mark our 40th anniversary at which members grooved along to a song called ‘Love Me Do’ – the debut single of a new young band from Liverpool, England. Just one year later, Life Member Bob Silversides joined Collaroy at the age of 15… and he’s held near-continuous membership ever since! Congratulations Bob.

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) was founded and Ken Rosewall won his fourth Australian Championship to now become both the youngest and the oldest player to do so. More importantly, members of Collaroy Tennis Club celebrated the Club’s 50th anniversary! Over the ensuing decade, the Club almost doubled its membership to around 100.

Our Centenary President, Vito Cincinnato (seen here far right of photo with wife Megan) joined the Club and has been a stalwart ever since.

Sony released the Walkman, The Knack topped the charts with 'My Sharona', 'Trivial Pursuit' was launched and tennis at Collaroy continued unabated, though the old clubhouse was on its last legs.

The old clubhouse was temporarily replaced with a shed before a new clubhouse was built some 9 years later.

A massive year for the Club. While Martina Navratilova won the first of her three Australian singles crowns and Michael Jackson released ‘Thriller’, our members were themselves thrilled that:
o Council extended our Lease for a further 20 years o Work commenced on the construction of three new courts with the surface of all courts transitioning to synthetic grass o New lighting would be installed on all courts o The design of a brand new clubhouse was approved, with local player Arthur Gartrell appointed as Architect. o And Collaroy Tennis Club fielded more teams in district competitions than any other club in the MWTA. We had up to 17 teams competing and had to hire outside courts to accommodate them.

Including State Government assistance from the Department of Sport and Recreation, the cost for the complete upgrade of our Club was in excess of $300,000. Committee Members Michael Peters, Bob Paterson and Carol Coram resigned from the committee in order to become Trustees, guaranteeing a loan from the Bank of New South Wales to cover the work. The Deed of Trust was duly signed on February 28.

Members volunteered their labour to prepare the base of the new courts and help install the light poles and the new 6-court complex was opened for play on June 2, 1982. However local residents lodged a complaint with the Land & Environment Court causing construction of the new clubhouse to be delayed for six years! In the meantime, members were forced to make do with an Atco shed as their temporary clubhouse.

Court Hire fees to members of the public were increased by $1 per hour, to help cover the unexpected costs incurred by the delay to construction of the clubhouse and associated ongoing maintenance costs. Around that same time the MWTA (now Tennis Northern Beaches) introduced Night Competitions for the first time. Collaroy fielded one of the first teams in the Wednesday Night Men’s Comp., consisting of Mark and Greg Petith, John Kelly, Dave Vincent, Clarrie Bridges and Warren (‘Horry’) Marsden. They made the Final, playing a team destined to become their arch rivals for years – ‘The Burglars’, comprising members of Bareena Park Tennis Club (ironically captained by now Club committee member, Dave Keogh).

Australia celebrated our Bicentennial on January 26, the Summer Olympics are held in Seoul, South Korea and construction starts on a brand new clubhouse at Collaroy.

The new clubhouse opens its door in 1989.

Bill Clinton is elected President of the U.S. and the Summer Olympics are held in Barcelona, Spain with Jennifer Capriati stunning Steffi Graf to win the Gold Medal. Three years earlier, our brand new clubhouse had been completed, seven years after plans had been lodged, and many celebrations were held within its walls in 1992.

Brazil defeats Germany to win the FIFA World Cup and Lleyton Hewitt wins The Championships at Wimbledon, extending his ranking as world No. 1 after becoming the youngest male in the ATP era to earn top ranking at just 20 years of age. Collaroy Tennis Club hits 150 members in 1992, though still with an imbalance of men. We need more ladies!

After consultation with members, the committee made the somewhat controversial decision to move on from long-time coach Peter Cullen and appoint Evolve Tennis Academy led by Ryan Maloney and Scott Fletcher as the Club’s new Coaching Partner. It was a tough call that has paid dividends.

Collaroy Tennis Club receives the prestigious award of ‘Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue – Metro’ from Tennis NSW. And in the same year, the club was one of 3 finalists for ‘Most Outstanding Club’ in the 2021 Australian Tennis Awards. Congratulations!

In an unprecedented achievement, Collaroy Tennis Club receives the prestigious award of ‘Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue – Metro’ from Tennis NSW, two years in a row. Congratulations!

What an amazing 100 years - Collaroy Tennis Club receives the prestigious award of ‘Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue – Metro’ from Tennis NSW and 'Most Outstanding Tennis Club or Venue - Australia' at the Tennis Australia Awards. Congratulations!

Collaroy Tennis Club celebrates a HUGE Milestone – 100 years of providing tennis to the community and its members – and launches a new logo to mark the occasion. Our membership hits 200 for the first time and we’re proud of the diversity and balance now evident in our membership.

Since 1922, our Club has survived the Great Depression, a World War, a battle with the Land & Environment Court and a Global Pandemic. HERE’S TO THE NEXT 100 YEARS!